Kill Me Once
by Sebe
Summary: Just a moment between Alaric and a not-so-stable Damon. Could be slash or not.


Summary: Just a moment between Alaric and a not-so-stable Damon. Could be slash or not.

Author's Notes: To be honest, I've only read about and watched parts of what's happened in the show, but I love Alaric and Damon so I thought I'd put this out there. Sorry if it's ooc.

**Kill Me Once…**

Alaric was angry. Damon had killed him a few days ago, after all. He had the right to be. But he hadn't been able to ignore Elena asking him to find the vampire.

"_Something just…not right with him Alaric."_

Alaric scoffed bitterly. What was ever _right_ with Damon? He could never figure the other man out. His emotions, personality, motivations, all seemed to vacillate wildly from day to day. Alaric had told himself over and over again he was through. That this love hate frenemies things between him and Damon was over and he didn't care anymore.

But he still found himself standing outside the Salvatore house. He raised his hand to knock and then rolled his eyes at himself, pushing open the door and walking in. He looked around a bit, scowl set in place, but he didn't see Damon right away. Against his wishes, a pinch of worry in his brow added to his sour expression.

Damon had been…a charitable word would be 'unstable' since the situation with Stefan and Klaus. He played like nothing was wrong and Alaric didn't really ask because, well, they just didn't really have that kind of relationship. Everything was usually so tenuous between them and Alaric didn't want to upset the vampire. With a short jolt of surprise, he realized that he wasn't afraid _of_ Damon.

He was afraid _for_ him.

Alaric had no idea what could set him off now and no way of knowing just what that explosion, that break, might look like.

But whatever he was thinking, it wasn't this.

Damon stood in front of a large window in the mansion. Really, just stood there. His eyes were facing forward, but he was a thousand miles away. Alaric thought he may have actually caught Damon in an unguarded moment. His eyes were wide, his face open with no charade of a smile or contempt or anger.

Alaric stood a few more moments, waiting for Damon to turn to him and either greet him or kill him again, but he didn't. Seconds ticked by and neither moved. An unpleasant feeling settled in the teacher's chest and he finally called out.

"Damon."

Damon turned at his voice, seemingly genuinely surprised. Nothing could sneak up on Damon Salvatore unless he was thoroughly trashed and Alaric didn't see any bottles lying about. More feelings of dread.

"Ric."

Damon smiled strangely and Alaric's eyebrows drew together. Damon wasn't drunk. He was almost positive of it, but the way he moved and spoke, his expression was just as Elena had said_, 'not right'_. Alaric felt the betrayal of concern and fought to keep it down.

"What're you doing, Damon?"

Damon didn't answer, but walked closer. Alaric forced himself not to move back. Run from a predator and they'll only chase you, after all. Damon stopped barely a foot in front of him and just looked at him. Alaric fought not to squirm under the scrutiny. It was like Damon was evaluating him, judging him.

Or trying to figure out who he was. Finally having enough, Alaric was just about to break the stalemate when Damon spoke in a tone uncommon for him.

"You are my friend." Damon said it with the most serious face he'd ever seen on the vampire. Alaric believed him. "So I'll let you in on a secret."

Damon leaned in a bit; not threatening, but the way a child may tell a secret. Alaric could see Damon's eyes were wide and unfocused, heightening his begrudging concern.

"If Stefan doesn't come back…I'm gonna burn it aaaaall down." He smiled and drolled in a sing-song voice. Damon leaned back a bit and the smile dropped from his face. His gaze drifted down a bit, looking confused and speaking lowly. "Tear it all away…"

Screw his lingering hurt feelings, he knew now. Damon was drowning in a way Alaric hadn't seen before. That, probably no one but Stefan had ever seen. Or maybe Alaric was the first.

Damon had always been a mental case. A homicidal sociopath, but this seemed…different. This wasn't Damon going on a bender or a spree, this was a lost vampire losing him mind, his hold on reality.

Alaric knew the Salvatore brothers had a…complicated history, but they always came back to one another. Though Damon was usually trying to destroy Stefan's life and Stefan generally offended Damon's sensibilities, they were the only constants in each other's lives for a century and a half.

With nothing there like that, permanent, Damon was floundering, falling, losing it. He had been for awhile, but now he was losing the ability to even cover it up. The remaining tension dropped from Alaric and he reached out for Damon slowly.

"Damon…"

Damon's head snapped back up, like he'd forgotten the other was there. His face quickly morphed into something closer to his nonchalant defacto expression, forced swagger returning to his voice.

"Oh, heya 'Ric. How ya doing since the whole most recent death thing?"

But Alaric had already seen. Damon couldn't cover these cracks forever, they'd only get worse the longer Stefan was in Klaus's hands. Alaric was more determined than ever now to get Stefan back and stop Klaus.

No matter how screwed up and dysfunctional Stefan and Damon's relationship was, Alaric envied the brother's bond, maybe resented Stefan a little. Alaric wished he could be enough to keep Damon grounded, yet he knew he couldn't. He wasn't enough.

It hurt him to think that he could lose Damon; to bloodlust, to madness, and even though he knew it was petty and not the same, to Stefan. Alaric needed Damon, he knew it even if he wouldn't admit it. But the thing was, Damon needed Stefan, which meant Alaric needed Stefan.

Which meant Klaus was going down.


End file.
